Special Report
The Most Dangerous Cars in America
August 20, 2015 6:28 am
Last Updated: March 13, 2020 8:27 pm
11. Mirage
> Make: Mitsubishi
> Bad ratings: Small overlap front
> Sales year-to-date: 15,054
> MSRP: $12,995
Mitsubishi’s Mirage is the Japanese auto manufacturer’s attempt to penetrate the small car market. According to auto research site Edmunds.com, the car could never truly compete and was discontinued after the 2002 model year. The Japanese automaker reintroduced the compact car in 2014 to less than excellent reviews. Edmunds.com gave the car a D rating, and Consumer Reports described it as “Perhaps the worst-handling new car on sale.” The car’s poor handling should be worrying to potential buyers, as the Mirage received a failing grade from IIHS in its partial overlap front test.
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12. MKS
> Make: Lincoln
> Bad ratings: Small overlap front
> Sales year-to-date: 4,373
> MSRP: $38,850
The Lincoln MKS, which was introduced to the market in 2008, is the automaker’s attempt to penetrate the luxury sedan segment. Besides an engine upgrade and suspension enhancements in 2013, the MKS has not received a major overhaul since it was introduced. While receiving the best possible rating in other tests, including side, roof strength, and moderate overlap frontal crash, the MKS received the worst possible rating for small overlap front crashes, meaning injury in the event of this type of crash is highly likely.
13. Patriot
> Make: Jeep
> Bad ratings: Small overlap front
> Sales year-to-date: 69,128
> MSRP: $16,895
Reviewers in Consumer Reports were not overly impressed with the Jeep Patriot. Introduced less than 10 years ago, Consumer Reports lists no pros to balance out the vehicle’s litany of cons. And though the small crossover SUV has improved its IIHS safety ratings since 2007, it still has several safety issues. A 2015 Jeep Patriot received a poor rating, the lowest possible, for head-on collisions with a small overlap. Crash models revealed that drivers would likely sustain injuries to their left foot and lower leg in such a crash.
14. Pilot
> Make: Honda
> Bad ratings: Small overlap front
> Sales year-to-date: 78,540
> MSRP: $29,870
The Honda Pilot has been marketed to families as a comparable alternative to minivans since it was first introduced in 2003. In its first three years, the crossover SUV did not receive top marks from the IIHS for the safety of its head restraints and seats. Honda addressed these concerns in the 2006 model and every year since. The 2015 model, however, was found to be deficient in its ability to protect the driver and passengers in the event of a head-on collision with a small overlap. Serious hip and thigh injuries are likely in such an accident.
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15. Quest
> Make: Nissan
> Bad ratings: Small overlap front
> Sales year-to-date: 6,295
> MSRP: $26,530
The Nissan Quest was introduced to the American market in 1993 and is currently on its fourth generation. According to Edmunds.com, the minivan has never really caught on as a top-seller. Through the first seven months of this year, Nissan sold less than 6,300 Quests in the United States, compared to sales of more than 75,000 Honda Odysseys. Unlike most of the car’s biggest competitors — the Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, the Quest received a poor rating from the IIHS in the partial overlap frontal crash test. In this test, the upper interior part of the vehicle, as well as the instrument panel, intruded by as much as a foot and a half.
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